Four songs for voice, violin, and cello from poems by Emily Brontë

Song Cycle by Ronald A. Beckett

1. Love and Friendship  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree -
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms'
But which will bloom most constantly?

The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring,
It's summer blossoms scent the air.
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?

Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly's sheen,
That when December blights thy brow
He still may leave thy garland green.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Note: Coulthard has made textual changes that are not noted above.

Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

2. O Evening  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
O evening, why is thy light so sad
Why is the sun's last ray so cold?
Hush our smile is as ever glad
But thy heart is growing old.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this page: Nick Peros

3. She dried her tears  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
She dried her tears and they did smile
To see her cheeks' returning glow
How little dreaming all the while
That full heart throbbed to overflow

With that sweet look and lively tone
And bright eye shining all the day
They could not guess at midnight lone
How she would weep the time away.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

4. The soft unclouded blue of air
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
The soft unclouded blue of air,
The earth as golden-green and fair
And bright as Eden's used to be:
That air and earth have rested me.

Laid on the grass I lapsed away,
Sank back again to childhood's day;
All harsh thoughts perished, memory mild
Subdued both grief and passion wild.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this page: Nick Peros
Total word count: 210